When Love Is Forgotten: A Heartfelt Review of The Red Cottage by Hannah Linder

My Thoughts:

This story was incredibly emotional for me to read. As always, Hannah Linder doesn’t shy away from exploring deep emotions or painful moments—she writes with honesty and heart, and her characters feel so vividly alive.

When we first meet Meg Foxcroft, she’s filled with hope for the future. She and Tom McGwen share a tender love and a dream of building their own home—a red cottage where they’ll begin their life together once he returns from his trip. But tragedy strikes their small village, shattering that dream in an instant. Meg’s home is attacked, she’s gravely injured, and she disappears without a trace.

Tom’s grief is gut-wrenching. His sorrow seeps through every page as he searches for Meg and clings to the hope that she’s still alive. When he finally discovers her, his joy turns to heartbreak—Meg lives, but she remembers nothing. Not her home, not her uncle, and not the man who once held her heart.

That was the most devastating part for me—the ache of unremembered love. Tom’s longing for the woman she used to be, and his quiet resolve to protect her even when she no longer knows him, made my heart ache. Meanwhile, Meg struggles with confusing flashes of memory and emotions she doesn’t understand. She fears Tom because he feels like a stranger, yet she finds peace in his presence without knowing why.

Then there’s Lord Cunningham, the man who found Meg after her injury and took her in. He’s kind and protective, yet his growing affection for her adds another layer of tension. Meg’s heart is torn between two men—one who saved her life, and one who already owned her heart before she lost her past.

I was emotionally overwhelmed by this story. My heart broke for Tom’s steadfast love—for the way he continues to build the red cottage they dreamed of, even without her beside him. It’s a beautiful reflection of love that refuses to die, even when forgotten.

Hannah Linder is a magnificent storyteller. Her prose is elegant and heartfelt, her characters achingly real. She pours her heart into every word, unafraid to explore grief, redemption, and the quiet persistence of love. The Red Cottage is more than a historical romance—it’s a story of faith, memory, and the way true love always finds its way home.